Is towing free after a car accident?

Separate a covered expense from a no-charge offer.

Ask your insurer whether towing and storage are covered in your circumstances, whether authorization is needed and whether you pay first or the provider bills directly. Do not treat another driver's insurance information as confirmation that its insurer will pay.

A free-towing advertisement should still explain eligibility and exclusions. Ask what happens if you choose another repair shop, the destination changes or repairs do not go ahead. Keep the written terms with your claim records.

Before agreeing to a tow, ask these questions.

When circumstances allow, have the operator and receiving facility confirm the plan. These are questions to ask, not a statement that every listed charge is lawful or applies to your vehicle.

• What is the operator's business name and contact number?
• What exact destination has been agreed, and has someone there accepted the vehicle?
• What is the quoted tow charge, and which additional charges could apply?
• When could storage charges begin, and what are the release arrangements?
• Who pays, and what receipts or authorizations should I retain?

If the car has already been towed, locate it first.

Keep the operator's details, receipt, destination and any reference number together. Ask the storage facility for its current charges and release process, and share that information with your insurer promptly.

Do not arrange a second tow based only on a website address or an unanswered inquiry. Confirm the destination and who will receive the vehicle. Ask how any existing storage or release charges will be handled before changing the plan.

An estimate request is not permission to drive or drop off.

Restart Collision's estimate form includes No and Not sure options for vehicle drivability. Select the answer that reflects what you know; do not drive the car or access an unsafe area to complete the form.

Share existing damage photos and explain where the vehicle is in your description when useful. The team can review the inquiry, but it does not dispatch a tow, certify that the car is safe or confirm vehicle acceptance. Any inspection and transport destination must be confirmed separately.